- Mr. Yayi Boni is due to had over to the new president at an official ceremony.

Patrice Talon is a successful businessman, known as the

Benin has elected businessman Patrice Talon, known as the "king of cotton", to be its next president in a presidential run-off.

Though official preliminary results show that Mr. Talon emerged winner, the official results has not been declared yet. Mr Talon got 65% out of the votes while Mr Zinsou secured 35%. Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, conceded defeat after he heard of the results.

Polls took place in four other African nations over the weekend, including Congo-Brazzaville, Cape Verde, Niger and Tanzania's Zanzibar islands where the incumbent president won.

Mr Talon said, Reuters news agency that he feels like a soldier packing for the front, but that congratulations will come later. Mr Talon used to be a close ally of the outgoing president, but was accused of masterminding a plot to poison him in 2012, an allegation he strongly denies. He returned from exile in France last October, after receiving a presidential pardon.

President Thomas Boni Yayi is stepping down after two terms. His decision to leave office stands in contrast to leaders in other African nations like Burundi, Rwanda and Congo-Brazzaville, which have altered their constitutions to extend presidential term limits.

In other news, the opposition also won in Cape Verde's elections on Sunday. The Movement for Democracy (MPD) won an absolute majority, defeating the governing African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) for the first time in 15 years.

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In Zanzibar, the Incumbent President Ali Mohamed Shein has won a landslide victory, with the governing CCM party taking more than 90% of the vote in a disputed re-run.

Sunday's vote in Zanzibar was a re-run after the results of disputed local elections in October were cancelled. The opposition CUF party boycotted the vote, saying its candidate Seif Sharif Hamad won the poll in October.

Counting is also underway in Niger, Congo-Brazzaville and Senegal. In Niger, the opposition also boycotted the poll in Niger. Results of the presidential run-off are expected on Tuesday or Wednesday, with President Muhamadou Issoufou expected to win a second term.

Opposition candidate, Hama Amadou, who was in jail on baby-trafficking charges, a charge he has denied was flown to Paris last week for medical treatment.

In Niger, President Denis Sassou Nguesso is expected to emerge winner for another seven years in office as counting is ongoing in Congo-Brazzaville. Police fired tear gas at opposition supporters after the close of voting. Also the internet and other communication devices like telephones, text messages are still down on the orders of the government.